This weekend, a month after Fair to Midland's van turned over in Arizona--wrecking its vehicle and the bulk of its gear in the process--the band returned to Deep Ellum in one piece to recoup its losses. In fact, two concerts were scheduled for the weekend due to the number of bands signed on to support FTM: Friday's show featured The House Harkonnen, Serosia, Bronze Whaler and Moving Atlas; Saturday's saw opening sets from Deaf Pedestrians, Night Gallery, Red Pyramid, and End of Eternity. And, actually, there was another benefit, too, held in Denton's Boiler Room on the February 4.

Like the opening bands, fans trickled in through the chill and fog to
show their support for FTM at this show. And the band didn't disappoint.

In typical form, Fair to Midland overwhelmed its audience with a dazzling display of lights, sonic bombardment, and physical mayhem in its thrashing about the stage.

Performing to a crowded hall, the band's experimental rock sound served as the backdrop to Sudderth's legendary live-performance mania, as he flailed around, climbed a stage cabinet and eventually hung off
the curtain rod while delivering his divergent vocal range. But it wasn't all Sudderth: Most song performances
were followed by hypnotic sound-collage transitions courtesy of Matt
Langley at the keys.

It seemed like a regular rock showcase--and a fairly celebratory one, too--despite the somber reason with which this show was scheduled. And not just for the headliners: Denton's Bronze Whaler brought a blues-influenced sound in the vein of
Soundgarden paired with Circa Survive; Serosia, in the most underwhelming set of the night, delivered
straightforward hardcore not quite flush with the other bands playing
that night; Moving Atlas brought a progressive rock sound resembling
Sikth and Rush as vocalist Dunagin Gains gave the band a musical mold
that fit well with the headliners.

The House Harkonnen impressed as well with the loudest set of the
night. Its Motorhead-influenced hard rock delivered the brutish
might of its namesake from Frank Herbert's Dune series.

Critic's NotebookPersonal Bias: As a big sci-fi nerd, I expected The House Harkonnen to
follow in the rocking tradition of band names inspired by the Dune
books--i.e. Shai Hulud, Stillsuit. The band claims knowledge of the
franchise through the 1984 David Lynch film, and the first two books in
the six-book series. Better catch up on your homework, guys.

Random Note: Darroh Sudderth kind of resembles actor Jim Parsons--or Sheldon
from The Big Bang Theory. As a result, his stage antics resembled a
moment in the TV show when the character ingested caffeine, donned a
Flash costume, and ran around uncontrollably.